Delhi Capitals’ campaign in the IPL has hit a snag with captain Rishabh Pant’s suspension for the upcoming match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The suspension stems from a breach of the IPL Code of Conduct due to the team’s slow over-rate during their recent encounter against Rajasthan Royals. Alongside the suspension, Pant also faces a hefty fine of INR 30 lakh.
The release from the BCCI stated, “Mr Rishabh Pant, Captain, Delhi Capitals has been fined and suspended for one match for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 56 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on May 07, 2024.”
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The suspension comes as a blow to DC, who are currently striving to secure a spot in the IPL playoffs, sitting fifth in the points table with 12 points from as many games. This is not the first time Pant has faced repercussions for over-rate offences this season.
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Rishabh Pant has been suspended for one match and fined INR 30 Lakh for DC’s over-rate offence in the match against RR.#IPL2024 #DelhiCapitals #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/lwjwQ1goWM
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 11, 2024
Earlier, he was fined INR 24 lakh for a second over-rate offence against Kolkata Knight Riders and INR 12 lakh for a similar violation against Chennai Super Kings. According to the IPL Code of Conduct, the suspension follows the team’s third offence under the minimum over-rate rule.
Apart from Pant’s penalty, the rest of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, also faced fines, amounting to INR 12 lakh or 50 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.
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Despite an appeal from Delhi Capitals challenging the ruling of the Match Referee, the decision remained unchanged after a review by the BCCI Ombudsman. Pant’s absence in the crucial match against RCB poses a challenge for DC as they aim to keep their playoff hopes alive in the IPL 2024 season.